RED METAL IN THE BLUE PLANET: The history of copper and the outlook for the future Hardcover – April 12, 2023

Red Metal in the Blue Planet explores the history of copper mining and our outlook for the future use of the metal. The difference between the Stone Age and the current advanced civilization we have today arrived through the extraction and adaptation of copper. Whether it was through the organization of Bronze Age armies using weapons or the sparks being carried through wires to light our homes, the red metal shaped evolution of humankind. This long development from ceramic pots to smelting of metals is reviewed for mining innovations and major contributions provided by copper, which drove exploration of the continents and construction of the cities.The nature of the metal ore deposits providing for copper is presented from their formation to the excavation from the largest open pits of the world. The fundamentals of copper minerals is given, with the stages of mining advancements that lead to the geological models that characterize these deposits today. The super giant deposits are summarized, giving their discovery and development histories.Macros-economics are explored through dozens of commodity and price graphs that are compared with stock market crashes, wars, depressions, and the recent technological expansion. An in depth explanation of copper pricing and trading covers the downstream after the processed ores leave the mine.While minds and hearts look to the future of weaning nations away from petroleum use in the name of fighting climate change, we must understand copper consumption for all the renewable energy, solar panels and wind farms, to power electric vehicles and modern existence. Do our mineral resources have enough red metal to realize such a grandiose “green transition” of the Blue Planet? Read more